IOMICA Forum

The issue of telemetey (signals from the boat back to the TX) is going to come up again.

Spektrum DX8 offers four functions including battery voltage, internal temperature and others.

http://www.spektrumrc.com/Products/Prod ... ProdId=DX8

and click on the Telemetry Tab

My reading of the latest version of the class rules that was changed to allow voltage display does not cover this and it would be illegal under IOM class rules. But if the technology is moving in that direction we need to recognize the fact or do we just 'ban' radios which have such technological advancements?

John

Hmmm, interesting topic...
I don't believe banning the technology is the answer. We don't want to restrict what people can buy.

I see no problems with receiving that particular information, as essentially we can to nothing of consequence with it.
Knowing the voltage, or RX temperature has no affect on how we sail the boat. If we could use it to view boatspeed via a GPS unit), heel angle, or an anemometer on the mast (wind speed sensor)for example, I can see how that information can directly influence how you would sail the boat.

It could be written into the rules for example:.... 'telemetry that allows information that may be used by the skipper to improve or alter the sailing characteristics of the boat while underway, shall be prohibited..." or something along those lines........

At the moment, though not that I would do it, there is nothing to stop me putting a GPS unit in the boat to measure speed, and bring it back to shore, read it, and make subsequent adjustments if I wish. But I can't access that info in real time, and that is the difference I believe.....

Cheers,

Pat

I'm surprised that John's question didn't gain a bit more traction... It's not just DX8 but also new 2.4GHz radios from Hitec also have basic telemetry built in and, judging by the reception of the telemetry features in the aviation world, Airtronic and Futaba will probably be releasing their versions very shortly.

It's not as if the cost is an obstacle - one only has to compare the cost of telemetry enabled radios (currently illegal) like DX8 or A9 ($400-$500) with something like a Futaba 14MZ ($2,000+ which would be perfectly legal under present rules) to see that there isn't necessarily a direct correlation between telemetry and cost. In other words - someone who wants to spend the money can find ways of doing so and doesn't need to be protected by the class rules. Clearly, fitting a voltage telemetry unit is not likely to move you up the standings (in and of itself).

Personally, anything that helps a person maintain their equipment in good working order during an event helps not only that person but the whole fleet (spoken by someone who had rowed after clubmates' wayward IOMs on more than one occasion) - and I'd certainly be all for it.

So - what do you say? Is it time to amend C.5.3(c) to read:

Except for control unit positioning, voltage and radio link information, no radio transmissions from the boat shall be made.